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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Asteraceae (Sunflowers) |
| Origin: Mediterranean (Europe) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Height: 1-2 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Drought Tolerant: Yes |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: < 0 °F |
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Santolina chamaecyparissus (Gray Lavender Cotton) - A low, dense, long lived evergreen shrub that grows to 2 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. The hairy gray aromatic pinnately-lobed narrow 1 inch long leaves with tiny leaflets densely clothe the hairy shoots. Solitary yellow button flowers bloom on 6 inch tall stalks during the late spring and summer. Plant in full sun to part day sun and irrigate very little if at all once established - truly a drought tolerant plant! Hardy to 0 °F or below and useful in USDA Zones 5b to 10. Tolerates seaside conditions and is resistant to animal predation. This plant does particularly well in coastal California garden with little or no supplemental water - in situations such as this a flowing carpet effect of foliage, under 1 foot tall, can develop. A great plant for a formal edging or allowed to flow for an informal look. It is native to dry banks and rocky slopes in western and central Mediterranean region from Portugal to Yugoslavia. The specific epithet was given this plant by Linnaeus in 1753 and comes from the Greeks word 'chamae' which means "dwarf", "low-growing" or "growing on the ground" and 'kyparissos', a word for "cypress" which combine to mean a "dwarf or ground cypress". We have grown this great plant since our nursery first opened in 1979.
This description of this plant is based on our research and our observations of it growing at the nursery, in our own garden and in other gardens. We always appreciate receiving feedback of any kind from those who have any additional information about this plant, particularly if they disagree with what we have written or have additional cultural tips that would aid others growing Santolina chamaecyparissus .
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